Clinics & Services

This Health Centre offers a range of clinics. For an appointment or further details, please call Whitchurch Health Centre on 01275 832285

Nurse Led Clinics

Our nurses run the following clinics at the health centre:

Asthma Clinic

Diabetes Clinic

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Clinic

Quit Smoking Clinic

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Clinic

Leg Ulcer Clinic

Travel Clinic

Child Immunisation Clinic

We also run flu clinics every autumn where vaccination is strongly advised for patients aged 65 and over and those with asthma, diabetes, CHD, or immuno-suppressant diseases.

Practice Clinics for Adults

Foreign Travel Clinics

Patients requiring advice and/or vaccinations for foreign travel are requested to complete the travel form (which is also available at reception or can be downloaded from the above tab) at least 6 weeks prior to departure to ensure adequate time for planning which vaccines are required and for the vaccines to take effect before travelling.

Asthma

All patients with asthma are offered an annual asthma review at our nurse led clinics. At the review you will be offered advice and support on your condition and your treatment will be optimised.

If you have asthma but have not had a review in the last 12 months then please make an appointment for the asthma clinic.

Some patients with asthma will be offered an annual flu jab and a one off immunisation against pneumonia (pneumovax).

All patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are offered an annual review at our nurse led clinics. An invitation should be sent out during the month of birth of each individual patient. At the review you will be offered advice and support on your condition and your treatment will be optimised. If you have COPD but have not had a review in the last 12 months then please make an appointment with the nurse.

All patients with COPD will be offered an annual flu jab and a one off immunisation against pneumonia (pneumovax).

For further advice contact the British Lung Foundation, by telephone on 0845 850 5020 or at www.lunguk.org .

Contraception

All doctors and nurses are happy to give advice on contraception and sexual health. All consultations are confidential, regardless of age. (We do however recommend that if you are under 16 you bring a parent or guardian with you to your consultation.) Available methods are:

the pill (combined oral contraception)

the mini-pill (progesterone only contraception)

the injection (Depo-Provera)

the coil (IUCD)

Implanon (progesterone only contraceptive implant)

condoms - we provide free condoms for teenagers on the ‘C’ Card scheme. Ask your doctor, nurse or a receptionist.

Please see a doctor if you would like to discuss having a coil or Implant fitted. Contraceptive advice can also be obtained from the Family Planning Clinic on 0117 927 6781.

Emergency contraception can be obtained from the surgery but you must make an appointment. You can also obtain emergency contraception from the nearest Walk-in Centre or direct from a pharmacy.

For further advice try the Contraception Hotline on 0845 310 1334.

Sexual Health

We can offer advice on all sexual health and contraception matters. We can also screen for sexually transmitted infections including the following:

Chlamydia – this is an increasingly common condition and can lead to infertility in women. In many cases there are no symptoms so testing is important. Treatment is with a course of antibiotics

Gonorrhoea – this is a condition that has become more common again in recent years. Treatment is with a course of antibiotics

Hepatitis B – can be sexually transmitted. A blood test is required to confirm the diagnosis

HIV – can be sexually transmitted by both homosexual and heterosexual contact. A blood test is required to confirm the diagnosis. HIV can now be treated very successfully in specialist clinics to prevent the onset of AIDS.

You may also contact the Genitourinary Medicine Clinic (at the Milne Centre on 0117 928 2580) for advice and direct access to specialist clinics.

Diabetes

All patients with diabetes are offered an annual review of their condition. Research shows that good control of diabetes can reduce the risk of complications caused by diabetes and increase life expectancy. An invitation should be sent out during the month of birth of each individual patient. Some patients will need more regular reviews. If you have not seen the nurse for a review in the last 12 months then please make an appointment.

All patients with diabetes will be offered an annual flu jab and a one off immunisation against pneumonia (pneumovax).

For further information contact Diabetes UK on 0845 120 2960 or at www.diabetes.org.uk .

Drugs and Alcohol

If you think you may have a problem with alcohol or drugs then please talk to your doctor for advice. Contact details for useful support groups can be found by clicking here.

Heart Disease

This includes patients who have had the following heart conditions:

heart attack (myocardial infarction)

angina

heart failure (or left ventricular failure)

Patients with a history of heart disease are offered an annual review at our nurse led clinics. An invitation should be sent out during the month of birth of each individual patient. If you think you have a history of heart disease and have not been seen then please discuss with your doctor or the practice nurse.

All patients with heart disease will be offered an annual flu jab and a one off immunisation against pneumonia (pneumovax).

For further advice contact the British Heart Foundation on 0845 070 8070 or at www.bhf.org.uk .

Hypertension

If your blood pressure is persistently high then you may be diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension). This condition can be treated with lifestyle modifications and medication. Once the blood pressure has been controlled then we advise a 6 monthly check up with the practice nurse and an annual blood test. If you have not had a check-up in the last 6 months then please see the nurse.

Joint injections can sometimes be helpful in treating certain inflammatory conditions such as tennis elbow and frozen shoulder. Please see your doctor for an assessment.

Stop Smoking

The practice nurses run ‘Support to Stop Smoking’ clinics and can provide nicotine replacement to help you give up smoking. Please ask at reception for an appointment. Please note we cannot prescribe nicotine replacement treatment without prior attendance at one of these clinics.

If you want to join a ‘Support to Stop Smoking’ group then call 0870 240 3319 or contact the nearest Walk-in Centre for further advice.

Am I eligible for patient transport?

• Your mobility means you are unable to access healthcare by any other means

• You need the skills or support of clinically trained staff and / or medical equipment during your journey

Transport could also be provided to a patient’s escort or carer where their particular skills and/or support are needed. This may be appropriate in the case of accompanying a person with a physical or mental incapacity, a vulnerable adult, or in the case of patients needing a translator. This would need to be agreed for each individual case at the time of booking the transport.

What does this mean for you?

For all journeys after the 1st April 2017 you or your carer will need to contact the new provider. You will need to provide your NHS number to the patient transport, this is a 10 digit number that can be obtained from the GP surgery or may also be on a hospital letter.

Booking Office and enquiries

T: 0300 777 6688

If you have already made a booking you don’t need to do anything as all the

bookings will be automatically transferred to E-zec.

If you require further information please visit the Bristol CCG Website Click Here

Patient Access is a service the Practice is providing for patients aged 16 years and over via the internet.

Patient Access will enable you to book, cancel and check appointments online and also order repeat prescriptions online. The Practice follows a strict confidentiality protocol and by issuing a unique PIN number your information is confidential.

In order to use Patient Access, you will need to come into the Practice to register for the service. Please bring a form of photo ID with you.

Once registered, you will also be able to book appointments on your mobile device

Travel Vaccinations

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to make an appointment with the practice nurse to discuss your travel arrangements. This will include which countries and areas within countries that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required. It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible - at least 6 weeks before you travel.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below

To help us offer the appropriate advice, please collect a travel health questionnaire from reception. Please make sure the travel health questionnaire is returned as early as possible because if you do not require any vaccinations, the treatment room nurse will cancel your appointment.

ADVICE FOR TRAVELLERS

As you will be aware, GP surgeries are working under increasing pressure, & are having to prioritise the services they can provide. We have offered a full travel service free of charge until recently, but as the surgery receives no funding for this & it is very time consuming, we are sadly no longer able to continue this. The NHS has a very comprehensive web-site, giving the information you need to identify any vaccines advised for trips abroad, & ensure that you stay as healthy as possible. This can be found at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk

The following vaccinations are commonly required for many holiday destinations, and are free of charge on the NHS;

Diphtheria, tetanus & polio (combined)

Hepatitis A

Typhoid

These can be administered by a nurse at this surgery, if needed.

Cholera medication is also available on the NHS, but is not commonly required.

Other vaccinations may be necessary for more exotic or unusual destinations, complex travel itineraries, or long stay vacations. These need to be given at a high street travel clinic (eg, Nomad, Masta or Sta Travel). There will be a charge for these. If you would rather have all of your vaccinations done at these clinics, they can also give the vaccines in bold (above) but they will charge for these.

We strongly advise you to check your requirements at least three months before travel, as sometimes a course of up to three vaccinations needs to be given over the course of several weeks.

It is your responsibility to ascertain which vaccinations (and, if relevant, anti-malaria tablets) you need, & also to inform yourself fully of recommended travel safe precautions.

To do this, you should visit the NHS Fit For Travel website at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk & read the information relevant to the country you are visiting.

Follow these simple steps:

Select the country you are visiting from the ‘destinations’ box on the left.

Read the ‘Advice for all travellers’ information, following links in blue. This will give you detailed information about health risks abroad such as insect bites, sun-exposure, contaminated food & drink. Also advice is given about visas & health insurance.

Note the ‘Courses or boosters usually advised’. If you have a record of your immunisations/vaccinations at home, see if you are up-to-date with the recommended vaccines.

Hepatitis A – if you have had two vaccinations, you are covered for 25 years (from the 2nd dose)

Please be aware that it is not good for the immune system to unnecessarily have vaccinations more frequently than this. If you are unsure of when you had any previous vaccinations, ask the surgery for a printout of your vaccination history. You should keep a record of this.

The ‘vaccinations sometimes advised’ section usually relates to back-packers, people travelling for more than 4 weeks, or special situations, eg working in health care projects, or with animals. If you are planning such a trip you need to make arrangements to have these at a high street travel clinic (eg, Nomad, Masta, The Medical or Sta Travel). There will be a charge for these.

If you think that you need any of the vaccinations provided by the NHS, (in bold above) make an appointment with the nurse, bringing with you a printout of the relevant Fit For Travel information.

Read the information about malaria, (if this is an issue where you are going), and follow the ‘precautions’ link. If anti-malaria tablets are advised for your destination, there will be a link to a ‘malaria map’ which will show the details of the risk for your destination. If proguanil and/or chloroquine are advised, these can be bought over the counter at a pharmacy. These need to be started before entering a malaria area, continued during the trip, & for a period of time after leaving, so you need plan ahead. We also advise you to take your itinerary and dates with you to work out how many you need to buy.

If Atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone) or doxycycline or mefloquine (Lariam) are recommended, read through the information carefully, and go to a high street travel clinic to buy your supply.

The site will also indicate which anti-malaria tablets are effective in that region.